Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is finalizing a deal to become the new defensive coordinator at Penn State, sources told ESPN on Sunday.
Knowles is expected to agree to a three-year deal that will average $3.1 million per season, which will make him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football. He is believed to be the first coordinator in college football to make a base salary of at least $3 million.
Knowles made a base salary of $2.2 million last season, and his compensation got close to $3 million with bonuses in the wake of Ohio State’s national title run. The Buckeyes extended an offer to Knowles, sources told ESPN, that would have made him the highest-paid coordinator in the country, ahead of Michigan‘s Wink Martindale and LSU‘s Blake Baker, who are both set to earn $2.5 million next season.
Knowles also received interest from Notre Dame and Oklahoma, sources told ESPN.
He led Ohio State to the No. 1 defense in the country this past season, finishing first in total defense and scoring defense at just 12.9 points per game. The Buckeyes were No. 3 in run defense and No. 3 in passing yards allowed.
The move marks a significant maneuver within the Big Ten, as Penn State returns a sizable core of its College Football Playoff team from 2024 and should be considered among the favorites for the national title next season.
Knowles will have some significant pieces to work with, as defensive lineman Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant will be linchpins along with cornerback A.J. Harris and linebacker Tony Rojas.
The return of quarterback Drew Allar and tailbacks Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, along with a strong offensive line, will be the root of Penn State’s preseason optimism for 2025.
Knowles, who will replace new Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen, is a veteran coordinator who worked at Duke from 2010 to 2017 and Oklahoma State from 2018 to 2021. He’s been at Ohio State since 2022, with this year’s unit his best work. Ohio State is expected to have eight players from that 2024 defense drafted, including the entire starting defensive line.
The Philadelphia native has had an unusual path through the sport, as he played at Cornell and began his coaching career there. He worked as Cornell‘s head coach from 2004 to 2009, going 26-34, before becoming the defensive coordinator at Duke.
He is coming off strong back-to-back seasons at Ohio State, as the Buckeyes finished No. 2 nationally in scoring defense in 2023.
Ohio State will be on the hunt for a new coordinator. The Buckeyes are set to return three starters from its national title defense, with all three set to be decorated in the preseason.
Safety Caleb Downs earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and will be among the top prospects for the 2026 NFL draft. Linebacker Sonny Styles is set to emerge as a top prospect after winning second-team all-conference honors, and cornerback Davison Igbinosun is a two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten performer who returned with the goal of becoming a first-round pick.